by Jeff Gluck, USA TODAY Sports

by Jeff Gluck, USA TODAY Sports

DARLINGTON, S.C. -- Before the season began, Kevin Harvick told new crew chief Rodney Childers there was one race he wanted to win more than any other: the Bojangles' Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.

Mission accomplished.

Harvick completed a career NASCAR grand slam â?? the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600 and Brickyard 400 along with Darlington â?? with a pass of Dale Earnhardt Jr. in overtime as the white flag waved on Saturday night's race.

"Most all of us know the history of this particular racetrack and what it means to our sport," Harvick said. "To win the Southern 500 and look at the names and pictures on that trophy that they have out there is something that's pretty phenomenal to be a part of."

The Stewart-Haas Racing driver had dominated most of the race â?? he led 238 laps in all â?? until a late caution erased what seemed like a sure victory with nine laps to go. Harvick then took four tires on a pit stop when several drivers ahead of him took two, and he needed two more cautions and an overtime finish to make the strategy pay off.

Earnhardt was leading on the second green-white-checkered attempt, but Harvick passed him off Turn 4 on the next-to-last lap for his second victory of the season.

"(Harvick) just had new tires," Earnhardt said. "We had 30-something laps on our left (sides), and it just wasn't going to get the job done with him right there on us."

The win ended two streaks: Harvick's string of bad luck and NASCAR's run of seven different winners in the first seven races of the season.

Harvick, who had finished 36th or worse in four of five races since winning at Phoenix International Raceway last month, became the first polesitter since Dale Jarrett in 1997 to win a Darlington race.

It was the third win of the season for Stewart-Haas Racing â?? Harvick's teammate Kurt Busch won two weeks ago at Martinsville Speedway â?? which is a series high.

Harvick hadn't had much success at Darlington in the past. Before Saturday night, he'd led only 63 laps in his 17-race career at the 1.366-mile circuit with the moniker "The Track Too Tough to Tame." He'd finished in the top 10 only six times in that span.

"We're fortunate to be able to do this for a living," Harvick said. "But to be able to have celebrated a lot of the race wins, whether it be Indy or Daytona or Charlotte or Allâ??Star Race or the Southern 500 now is something that some people don't get to experience at all in their careers.

"I just feel lucky. I'm glad to be here. I love my job, and looking forward to racing every week."

At more than 510 miles, the race was the longest distance-wise in Darlington's history. It took nearly four hours to complete and had 11 cautions, including the three toward the end of the race.

In one incident, Kurt Busch was turned by Clint Bowyer and crashed hard into the inside wall on the backstretch. Busch then walked up the track and glared at Bowyer as he drove by; neither driver commented after the race.

NASCAR is now off for a week before returning to action April 27 at Richmond International Raceway.â??